Cute girl IU goes sporty for Lecoq Sportif!

Singer IU becomes the model of Lecoq Sportif. I like the photos of IU playing with volleyball,she looks energetic in these photos.It seems that she received much love after her popularity skyrocketed,let's hope that she will have enough rest despite busy schedule.

BoA Joins in SME-JYJ Dispute

Artists and workers under SM Entertainment (SME) are getting more and more active in the disputes between SME and JYJ, as an artist and dance instructor under the company recently sent out some controversial messages via the web regarding the conflict.

Gender Inversion in Kpop

I wouldn’t say I’m a fan of Beast, T-ara, or the song “Yayaya” (even though I find it ridiculously addictive), but I found this performance not only so cute that I have probably contracted diabetes,but an interesting look into the possible gender inversions in kpop.

Can an overweight girl group succeed in Korea?

Can a girl group with three voluptuous members find success in perfection-driven Korea?

T.O.P's Interview On Goethe Magazine

'Want to become that kind of person who ‘will devote all of his youth to his work’
This busy and supreme Korean artist has attracted attention from us as an artist now. He might not be so familiar to our readers

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Following the release of Big Bang‘s 2011 plans, YG Entertainment has released exciting news for fans of the group’s maknae, SeungRi.

While fans had been counting down the days until SeungRi’s January 3rd digital single release, it seems they will have to add ten more days to that countdown. YG Entertainment has announced that SeungRi will not be releasing a digital single anymore, but in fact, will be releasing a mini-album titled Ambush.

Ambush has been a completely new experience for the maknae, as the mini-album will include tracks that were written and composed with his contributions (yet also receiving advice from leader G-Dragon).

SeungRi will continue promoting until late February, in which Big Bang will hold their annual BIG SHOW concert, which will include SeungRi’s solo songs.

G-Dragon and TOP‘s High High special unit album has received an extremely positive response since its December 24th release. Following the success from their two title tracks, YG Entertainment has announced further plans to promote the album.

Currently promoting three tracks (High High, Knock Out, and Oh Yeah), G-Dragon and TOP will begin promoting two new tracks come mid-January. Showcasing a new stage style, the duo will be promoting Don’t Go Home and Baby Good Night.

The duo is currently planning video shoots for the two follow up songs, which will be directed by the director who shot G-Dragon’s About A Boy music video. Although President YG has not 100% confirmed it, he wishes to make plans for solo music videos if the opportunity and time arises. Meanwhile, their Knock Out music video will be released on January 3rd through their official Youtube page.

JYP Entertainment has announced that J.Tune Entertainment will soon be completely absorbed by the management agency.

The details are still rather fuzzy, but from the looks of it, J.Tunes Entertainment will change its name to JYPE on February 16, 2011. Current representatives of J.Tune Entertainment have stated the reason for this name change, saying, “Park Jinyoung hopes to use the JYP label to bring J.Tune up to its status.”

The merge will mark quite a few landmarks for workers under both companies: not only will it be Park Jinyoung’s first time being signed under an entertainment company in four years (his contract with JYPE expired in 2006 and was not renewed), but it could also signal the beginning of J.Tune Entertainment’s life as a subsidiary of JYPE. This could then possibly mean that MBLAQ would be indirectly a part of JYPE.

So far, it’s been confirmed that JYP and CEO Jung Wook will be members of J.Tune’s Board of Directors, and that current CEO Kim Yoonchul will resign as the company officially undergoes a name change.

Some speculate that this could all be due to the fact that Rain will be joining the army next year, while others are simply sitting in confusion. However, Korean MBLAQ fans have also claimed that the changes will not affect their beloved boy band, as the boys are working under J.Tunes Camp rather than J.Tune Entertainment.

In the meantime, J.Tune Entertainment will be holding a general stockholder’s meeting on February 6, 2011, in which many major changes regarding their Board of Directors will be made.

Fans of SNSD can now hold the successful Into the New World concert in their hands—in audio form!

That’s right, every single track performed in concert is now available on various music portals everywhere. There is a total of 38 songs spanned across 2 CDs. Megahits like Gee and Oh! are in this incredibly pink album. But in addition to that, the remixes of Genie are also in the album. In fact, even the members’ solo songs are in here! The solos include numbers like Tiffany singing Rihanna’s Umbrella, Yuri covering Ciara’s 1 2 Step featuring f(x)’s Amber, Jessica singing Aqua’s Barbie Girl featuring SHINee’s Key, and much more! As a bonus, there’s two extra tracks where the girls rerecord Singing in the Rain along with an insert song where the lyrics are the members’ names themselves!

Click here to sample each song. Please support the members by buying the album!

Two still cuts from the recording of KBS 2TV’s “Dream High” revealed the adorably quirky sides of leads Taecyeon and Suzy.

Candid pictures of the two idol stars were taken while they were on break. With his open mouth and shocked expression, Taecyeon is seen showing off his ‘variety idol’ appeal, which contrasts greatly with the severe bandages on his hand and forehead.

Suzy, who released still cuts of her shy kiss with castmate Kim Soo Hyun yesterday, is seen smiley cute from the same bus used for the kiss.

Dream High’s story of passion and competition will be aired for the first time on January 3rd, 2011.

GP Basic will be holding an audition in search for “the second GP Basic.”

On December 30th, representatives of the group revealed, “We’re opening an audition for a new group that will be debuting early next year called, ‘GP Senior.‘”

The audition started last week and will last through January 30th. Finalists will be able to become a trainee under GP Basic Entertainment. One member out of the finalists will be debuting under ‘GP Senior,’ a new girl group scheduled to debut in the first half of 2011.

A representative for a welfare organization known as Sarang-bang shed some light on a good deed that a fan café for SNSD’s Jessica did in the name of the idol.The representative stated earlier today, “On December 23rd, before Christmas, Jessica’s fan café, ‘Pure Jessica,’ donated one million won and some gifts.” The welfare association, which is dedicated to supporting the elderly, expressed their genuine gratitude to the fans by publicly posting up the fan café’s donation certificate.

‘Pure Jessica’ is heading towards its fourth year of running with more than 59,000 members in its name.

Following the conclusion of the 2010 ‘SBS Gayo Daejun‘ yesterday night, K-pop fans can look forward to the 2010 ‘KBS Music Festival‘ for December 30th.

The song festival will be aired lived through KBS 2TV at 9.50PM (KST), and will feature the year’s best singers. Spectacular stages have been arranged, through which fans can check out the passionate performances of their favorite artists on one stage!

To get a first sneak of what to expect, here’s the full rundown of what’s going to happen later:

In response to rumors claiming that IU and Seulong were planning on kissing rather than hugging during their past controversial performance together, IU’s management chose to step forward and speak up.

After the two’s performance of ‘Nagging’ on KBS 2TV’s Music Bank on December 17th, fans grew enraged due to the fact that Seulong gave IU a hug. In response, fans bombarded Seulong’s mini-homepage with negative comments, causing the idol the tweet, “Save me!” Soon after, people began spreading the rumor that the two were supposed to kiss rather than hug.

Earlier today, the management agency stated, “Before IU and Seulong’s performance, they discussed with the staff on the subject of what kind of performance they were going to put on. The suggestion of a ‘kiss’ (more of a peck than a full-blown kiss) performance came up during our discussion. It was not directed to either singer.”

They continued, stating, “While discussing what type of performance to put on, Seulong suggested using a scene from a film. It’s a bit burdensome making it sound like they weren’t able to have a kiss performance.”

After the controversy that the hugging caused, IU apologized to Seulong during a celebrity news program, stating that she was “disappointed that [the hug] was made to seem like a surprise…when it was prepared.”

On December 30th, Singer/producer Park Jin Young announced that the name of J. Tune Entertainment will be changed to JYP Entertainment, and that the two companies will be merged.

In a general stockholders meeting (to be held on February 16, 2011), J. Tune Entertainment will be electing Park Jin Young and CEO Jung Wook as members of the Board of Directors.

The current board members, including CEO Kim Yoon Chul, will resign, and the company will officially be absorbed under the ‘JYP Entertainment’ label.

Regarding the name change, representatives of J. Tune Entertainment stated, “Park Jin Young hopes to use the JYP label to bring J. Tune up to its status.”

Additionally, Park Jin Young signed on with J. Tune Entertainment, as explained by representative, “After acquiring shares and taking control of the company, Park Jin Young signed a contract under the agency in order to join forces with Rain and the celebrities within it.”

A representative of JYP Entertainment revealed to Newsen on December 30th, “Park Jin Young has decided to contract with J. Tune. His contract with JYP Entertainment expired back in 2006, and since then, he has not been under any contract.”

JYJ delighted fans by appearing on a public broadcast for the first time.

On the morning of December 30th, the trio joined KBS’s “News Time“, and shared their gratitude on being able to make the appearance, as well as discussing their future goals.

Juggling their individual schedules and preparations for another world tour, the members were asked if they had time to celebrate Christmas. They answered, “We really just only drank!”

When questioned on issues due to an ongoing dispute, the members replied: “We’re not going to say that we’ll be able to solve the many problems that lie between a celebrity and its agency. We’re still trying to direct everything towards a positive path, and although we’re not sure what the outcome will be, we’d like for all celebrities to be able to work in a good environment and system.”

Yoochun also expressed about their new start, “I’m so genuinely happy.” When one of the MCs commented that it must’ve been like passing through a tunnel, he continued, “We’re still in an extension of the tunnel. There’s still a lot of things for us to worry about, and we must make more efforts.”

The trio revealed that they’ll be working on their acting careers for 2011, with Yoochun in a drama, Junsu in a musical, and Jaejoong in a Japanese drama. Junsu added, “There’s pressure in having to do something on your own since you’re always used to being together. When we’re working as a team, you work to not fall behind while giving each other strength, bravery, and a home.”

Regarding their rise in the older ‘aunt fanbase,’ Yoochun credited his appearance on KBS 2TV’s “Sungkyunkwan Scandal“. “We’ve gotten older, and it seems as if our fans are getting older with us. I can feel the difference in ages at events. They still give us hope and strength,” he said.

Junsu gave viewers a glimpse of the song they’ll be performing at their congratulatory appearance on KBS’s “Drama Awards”, by singing a few lines of Sungkyunkwan Scandal’s “Found You” on the spot.

Concluding their appearance, they stated, “In January, our worldwide album will officially be released in the U.S., and we’ll be having promotional activities for it.”

The 2010 “SBS Gayo Daejun” heralded the impending return of TVXQ yesterday by revealing their first comeback teaser. If Cassiopeians were wild with excitement before, they’ll sure to go berserk with this second trailer that SM Entertainment has just released.

The second CF teaser shows Yunho and Changmin showcasing more of their slick new dance moves, and the air is crackling with intensity as they belt out their title track, ‘Keep Your Head Down‘.

‘Keep Your Head Down’ is a song which features a heavy kick drum sound with a bass synth, 16 beat guitar riff, and their strong, charismatic vocals.

Check it out below!

The special edition album will be available on January 5th, followed by the normal edition on the 12th.
source allkpop

During the MBC Entertainment Awards, 2AM’s Jo Kwon received the Rookie Award, Best Couple Award, and Special Award. Jo Kwon expressed his joy by tweeting a picture of himself holding the trophies.
He then wrote,
“Just finished MCing on SBS Gayo Daejun and the stage with 2AM~ I was rehearsing when I heard that I won three awards on MBC Entertainment Awards. I’m touched beyond words, and my tired feelings went away instantly. The Rookie Award, Best Couple Award, and 2AM Special Award… I wouldn’t be able to do this without everyone’s love and support. Thank you very much.”
The awards were given on December 29th at MBC Dream Center. Unfortunately, due to SBS’s Gayo Daejun, Jo Kwon was not able to attend the ceremony.
Congratulations, Jo Kwon!
Source: Star News via Nate, allkpop

From ‘Marshmallow‘ and ‘Nagging‘ to “GoodDay‘, IU has quickly become a star in the Korean entertainment industry. These days, if you turn on the TV, IU is on, and if you walk the streets, you can hear ‘Good Day’ playing in the background.

So all this popularity begs the question, just how much money has 2010’s hottest celebrity raked in?

IU is said to have earned about 300 million won (approx. $261,600) in 2010 from her duet with 2AM’s Seulong, ‘Nagging’, another duet with Sung Si Kyung, ‘It’s You‘, and her 3rd mini album, ‘Real‘.

Of course, you can’t forget the biggest money maker, CFs. IU filmed seven CFs this year for companies ranging from Crown Bakery to the clothing brand YS’B. IU has received an average of 200 million won ($174,400) per year for her work, but recently, due to her popularity, her value has skyrocketed. Representatives are now estimating that she earns a staggering total of at least 1.4 billion won ($1.22 million). On top of this, IU has many more upcoming CFs. Starting on January 3rd of 2011, IU will be filming CFs for electronics, drinks, clothing, cosmetics, and more.

Then, if you add up her pay from her SBS’s ‘Heroes‘ variety show appearances and other events, it all comes out to another 500 million won ($436,000).

Ultimately, the lowest estimate of what IU made in 2010 is 5 billion won, which is approximately equal to $4.36 million dollars.

A representative of IU carefully stated, “We will know the exact revenue from records and CFs early next year. It is true that she earned a lot with her busy activities, but we cannot say how much she has earned for now.”

Hopefully her contract allows her to keep a good percentage of that worth, because she was certainly a huge moneymaker in 2010!

Rookie group TOUCH divided into two different unit teams for K-SWISS’s photoshoot.

On December 29th, their agency, YYJ Entertainment, revealed, “TOUCH contracted with K-SWISS as models for their line of eyewear accessories and recently completed an advertisement photoshoot.”

Unit ‘F4′ consisted of Seon Woong, Sung Yong, Young Hoon, and Dabin, while ‘Han Jun & Kids’ consisted of Han Jun, Min Suk, and Jun Yong. The photoshoot involved a variety of accessories such as sunglasses, goggles, and glasses.

The ‘F4′ team, who are all former online shopping mall models and ulzzangs, brought out a smart look to the items with their impressive looks, while the remaining three expressed a sporty look for the goggles.

TOUCH will also be making an appearance on Mnet’s “M!Countdown” on December 30th with “Killin’ Me”.

Actress Min Hyo Rin, who has been impressing her fans through a variety of unique photoshoots lately, has returned once more with a “Jekyll & Hyde” themed photoshoot for “SEHEN.”

This photoshoot focused on expressing the contrasting images between her innocent purity as ‘Jekyll,’ and the more glamorous and seductive look for ‘Hyde.’ Despite the shoot taking over 18 hours with dozens of outfit changes, the actress impressed the staff with the way she remained focused and professional without a hint of fatigue.

The full spread featuring her contrasting charms can be found in SEHEN’s January 2011 issue.

Fans can also expect to see more photoshoots and CFs of the actress coming up, as she is currently lined up for a variety of contracts with cosmetics, clothing, premium ice cream, and bakery companies.

During one of the segments, the boys were asked to “freestyle” or sing their own rendition via improvisation of their hit track “Sorry Sorry” based on the instrumentals played by the Pianist. It was very interesting to hear the different styles from each of the members, check out the segment below!

Actress Kim Ah Joong invoked the spirit of a variety of iconic female celebrities for her “Bazaar” photo shoot.

The magazine was done under the concept of expressing the prime years of world renown actresses Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Brigitte Bardot.

For the Bardot transformation, Kim accentuated her lips and wore dark, smoky eyeliner, and completed the look with voluminous hair that brought out the actress’ characteristic feminine sexiness.

A representative of the film crew commented, “Kim Ah Joong not only brought the beauty of the roles she took on, but also added her own personal charm to the overall look. She looks aggressive and stimulating on screen, but behind the stage, she puts on a more dreamy and serious expression.”

Her photoshoot can be seen in the January 2011 issue of “Bazaar.” Fans will also be able to watch the actress’ small screen comeback through SBS’s “Sign” on January 5th.

Hip Hop duo Untouchable made their return to the music scene with the release of their second album “Who’s Hot” earlier in the month and now they’re back once again with the release of their third mini-album, “Untouchable: Third Mini Album.”

In conjunction with this release, the MV for their title track ‘Only One’ which features the sweet vocals of Mellow has also been released.

If you like Hip Hop mixed with a bit of Holiday Flare, you should love this track – check out the MV below and you can support them by purchasing the music.

Proving his spot as the nation’s MC once again, Yoo Jae Suk won his second consecutive Daesang at this year’s MBC Entertainment Awards.

For his award speech, he stated:

“Thank you so much. I am very happy and thankful but at the same time I am sorry. I felt like Park Mi Sun, Kim Gura, Kang Ho Dong, and many others should have received this award so I apologize.

But I truly thank all of you. After doing ‘Come To Play’ for some time, I have never said that I don’t like it once. Thank you to Kim Weon Hee, Kim Na Young, Gil, Eun Ji Won, and Noh Hong Chul who worked with me together. I would also like to thank my ‘Infinity Challenge’ family, Park Myung Soo, Jung Hyung Don, Noh Hong Chul, Jung Jun Ha, and Haha. “

To my family that is watching this on TV, I would like to give a send a happy heart to my son Jiho, who was born this year. I will keep working hard with no complaints.”